The invention relates to a condenser capable of forming part of a fluid circuit, in particular for refrigerating fluid, in an air conditioning device of the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle. The condenser comprises a manifold box and an elongated intermediate reservoir for the treatment and/or the accumulation of the fluid, two communicating pipes being provided for the transfer of liquid between the manifold box with and the reservoir.
In such a condenser, as is well known, the intermediate reservoir may perform all or part of the following functions: filtration and/or dehydration of the refrigerating fluid, compensation of the variations in volume of the fluid, separation of the liquid and gaseous phases. Its intermediate position, i.e. its interposition between an upstream section and a downstream section of the condenser, allows only fluid in the liquid state to be circulated in the section upstream from the reservoir. The fluid is thus undercooled to the liquid/gas equilibrium temperature, improving the performances of the condenser and making the condenser relatively independent of the quantity of fluid contained in the circuit.
EP-A-0 480 330 describes, in a vehicle air-conditioning condenser, an intermediate circuit which is removably fixed to a base integral with the manifold box, through which the two communicating pipes pass.
The object of the invention is to simplify the mounting of the condenser, by making the base at least play a supplementary role with respect to the fluid and mechanical communications.